Fuel-feeding means for gas producers



Aug. 29, 1944. R. DAAE FUEL-FEEDING MEANS FOR GAS PRODUCERS Original Filed Jan. 27, 193 9 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR v Re/nfiaraf flaae Patented 'Aug. 29, 1944 FUEL-FEEDING MEANS FOR GAS PRODUCERS Reinhardt Daae, Youngstown, Ohio Original application January 27,1939; Serial No. 253,081. Divided and this application July '7, 1942, Serial No. 450,019

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in gas producers of the type in which combustible gases are generated by the combustion of coal. In these producers, the coal is fed to the combustion chamber and the combustion process is carried out continuously and automatically. As wi1l be hereinafter more fully described, I have developed improvements in gas producers whereby combustible gases may be generated continuously for long periods of time at a high rate of efficiency.

This is a division of my copending application,

Ser. No. 253,081, filed January 27, 1939, for Gas producer, now Patent 2,289,347, and relatesparticularly to means for feeding fuel into the body of the producer. In the accompanying drawings I have shown certain present preferred embodiments of my invention, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of my gas producer;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the grate of my Figure 8 is an end view of the poker reversing mechanism shown in Figures 6, '7 and 8; and

Figures 9 and 10 are plan views of levers utilized in the poker reversing mechanism illustrated in Figures 6, 7 and 8.

As shown in Figure 1, my gas producer comprises a producer body I I supported bystandards I2 .having a gas port Ila and containing the fuel bed I3. The lower portion of the pro ducer body II is surrounded by a water jacket I4 having a cold water inlet pipe I5 and a steam outlet pipe I6. The steam outlet pipe l6 leads to a three-way valve I! by which steam may be directed to an air pipe I8 through the pip I9 or may b utilized for some other purpose by passing through the pipe 20. The air pipe I8 .extends beneath the fuel bed I3 and supplies air necessary for combustion through a grate designated generally by the reference number 2| as will be hereinafter described. The producer body II is closed at the top by a rotating cover 22 which rotates 0n and is supported by wheels 23 which revolve about'horizontal axles 24 secured to the producer body. Wheels 23a. revolving about vertical axles (see Fig. 6) engage the periphery of the cover and keep it centered over the producer body I I. The top of the producer body I I supports a trough 2-5 which with a flange 26 extending downwardly from the cover 22 forms a water seal between the producer body and the rotating cover. The outer edge of the trough carries a beveled ring gear 21 which is used to drive various parts of my producer as will be hereinafter described.

The cover 22 is rotated by any suitable source of power having a driving connection with a pinion 28. The pinion 28 meshes with a spur gear 29 which rotates about a horizontal axis and turns a worm 30 mounted on the same shaft.

The worm 30 rotates a worm wheel 3| mounted on a short vertica1 shaft 32T A spur gear 33 keyed to the shaft 32 mesheswith a ring gear 34 which is fastened to the periphery of the cover 22.

The bottom of my gas producer likewise rotates relatively to the producer body. As shown in Figure 1, the bottom of "the producer comprises an annular trough 35 which forms an ash receptacle and also in cooperation with a flange 36 extending downwardly from the producer body a water seal for making th bottom of the producer air-tight. To enable the trough 35 to rotate, brackets 31 extend downwardly from the bottom of the trough 35 and support beveled wheels 38 which run on atrack 39. A water eal around the air pipe I8 is provided by an annular trough 40 and a flange 4| extending downwardly from an extension 42 of the inner edge of the trough 35.

Rotation of the trough 35 is obtained by eccentrically pivoting a pitman 43 on the spur gear 29. Rotation of the gear 29 causes the pitman 43 to rise and fall which in turn raises and lowers a lever 44 to which the pitman is connected at its lower end. When the lever 44 rises, a pawl 45 pivoted on the lever 44 engages a ratchet wheel 46 keyed on a horizontal shaft 4! and rotates the ratchet wheel. A worm 48 is also keyed to the shaft 41 and upon rotation turns a worm wheel 49 mounted on a short vertical shaft 50. A spur gear 5| integral with the worm wheel 49 meshes with a ring gear 5Ia secured to the bottom of the trough 35 and thus drives the trough. 1

Ashes are removed from the fuel bed I3 by rotation of the grate 2I which as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings is supported by a carrier 52 which rests on the extension 42 of the inner edge of the trough 35. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the grate comprises a plurality of truncated sectors 53 which are bolted to each other along their radial edges to the carrier 52 and to an elliptically shaped top section 54. The radial edges of each sector have vertical faces 55 and 56, the face 55-of each sector being substantially higher than the face 56. Each sector has a sloping top surface 51 which joins the top portions of the two vertical faces 55 and 56.

The sectors 53 are bolted to each other by means of lugs 58 so that the higher vertical face 55 of one sector is next to the lower vertical face 56 of the adjacent sector. Thus, the topsurfaces 51 form with the vertical edges 55 a series of radially extending troughs down which ashes may slide into the annular trough 35. As shown in Figure 1 the ends of the sectors adjacent to the top sections 54 are higher than the ends of the sectors supported by the carrier 52 so that the grate has the appearance of a cone with a plurality of radially extending ribs.

The sectors 53 are chambered so that air from the air pipe [8 may be blown through them into the fuel bed [3. The air is directed into the fuel bed by the sectors 53 through air passages 59 positioned in the top of the vertical faces 55. By placing the air passages 59 near the top of the vertical faces 55 .ashes sliding down the troughs formed by the top surfaces 5'! and vertical faces 55 will not clog the air passages. I have found it preferabl to so rotate the complete grate that air is blown out over the top surfaces 51 in a direction opposite the direction of rotation of the grate.

To assist in the breaking up and removal of ashes from the fuel bed the top section 54 has an ellipticaly shaped bottom portion 66 so that the bottom edge of the grate 2| is elliptically shaped although the sectors for convenience in manufacture may all be made of the same length. Since the lower edge of the grate is elliptically shaped the distance between a point on the lower edge of the grate and a fixed point on the producer body II will vary upon rotation of the grate. This change in the space down which the ashes fall to the trough 35 assists in the removal of the ashes by breaking up any clinkers which may be formed. The top section 5:4has a cylindrically shaped middle portion 6| and a conically shaped top portion 62. A scoop 63 is fastened to the cylindrical portion 6! of the top section and extends out over the elliptically shaped bottom portion 66. This scoop 63 further assists in'the breaking up and removal of ashes from the fuel bed IS. The center section 54 is chambered to permit passage of air therethrough to the fuel bed.

The ashes are removed from the trough 35 by a plow 64 which may b raised and lowered by turning a rod 65 which is geared to a short threaded rod 66 which extends down the center of the plow 64 and cooperates with a threaded nut 61 whereby rotation of the rod 66 raises and lowers the nut 6'! and consequently the plow 64.

As shown in Figure 1 coal or other fuel which is to be burned in the producer body II is kept in a hopper 68 mounted above the producer so that fuel may be fed into the producer body by gravity. The rate at which fuel is fed to the producer is controlled by a fuel feeding member 69 of the frictional type such as is shown for example in my Patent No. 1,034,695, granted August 6, 1912. The member 69 formsa movable bottom for the hopper and controls the amount of fuel fed into the producer by reciprocating back and forth across the bottom of the hopper. Thus when the member 69 is moved to the right, as viewed in Figure 1, a predetermined amount of fuel supported thereby is forced over its free edge while upon movement in the opposite direction it forms a support for the descending body of fuel which builds up thereon as determined by the size of the opening 10 and the angle of repose of the material.

A reciprocating motion is imparted to the member 69 by a link H pivotally connected to a bell crank lever 12. The other arm of the bell crank 12 is connected to a pitman 13 which in turn is connected to one end of a lever 14. The lever 14 is secured to a horizontal shaft 15 which carries a second lever 16. A pitman 11 eccentrically pivoted on a gear 18 imparts a reciprocating motion to the lever 16 and to the member 69 because of the linkage above described between the link 1 I, the bell crank lever 12, the pitman 13. and the lever 14. The driving pinion 28 v meshes with a gear 19 which in turn meshes with the gear I8.

The fuel passes from the hopper 69 down a chute 89 to a rotary feeding and sealing means 8|. The construction and operation of the rotary feeding and sealing means 8i and of the scrapers 82 and 83 which are mounted on weighted levers 84 and 85 and which are designed to prevent damage to the feeding and sealing means in case large lumps of coal or foreign material are delivered to the pockets 86 of the rotary feeding and sealing means 81 are described in my Patent No. 1,819,836, granted August 18, 1931, and form no part of the present invention.

The rotary feeding and sealing means 8| is not perfectly gas-tight. Occasionally, therefore, combustible gas generated in the producer body It will escape through the sealing means and go up the chute where it may ignite. I locate th hopper 68 above the chute 86 so that there an'opening to the left of the bottom of the hopper, viewing Figure 1, which will by-pass the open flame to the atmosphere and prevent ignition of the fuel in the hopper 68; However, the hopper should be so located that the member 69 does not extend at the end of its movement to theright beyond the edge of the chute 86 so that coal dust falling off the right-hand edge of the member 69 will fall down the chute.

The fuel is discharged from the pockets into a fuel feeding opening 81in the cover 22 of the producer. Upon leaving the pockets 86 the fuel falls on chutes 88 which are pivotally mounted in and extend across the fuel feeding opening. Figures 4 and 5 show the construction of'the'chutes 88. The chutes have flanges 89 which pivot about bolts 96 extending through the sides of the fuel feeding opening 61. Adjusting bolts 9l extend through the other sides of the fuel feeding opening and the lower ends of the chutes 88 and hold the chutes in position. By turning nuts 92 on the bolts 9! the slope of the chutes may beadjusted as desired for proper distribution of the fuel onto the fuel bed 13. Asis shown in Figure 5 the chutes 88 do not extend completely across the fuel feeding opening 8.1 but leave a space between them through which fuel may fall from the fuel feeding and sealing means 81 directly onto the fuel bed 13.

To stir the fuel bed and to distribute it evenly through the producer body H, I provide a hollow poker 93 which extends down through the cover 22 and which is connected to a water tank 94 supported by the sides of the chute 80. The poker is held in proper position by a cylindrical holder 05 which rotates in a circular flange 05 seated on the cover 22. I provide for rotation of the poker 93 so that all portions of the fuel bed may be reached thus insuring better stirring and distribution of the fuel in the fuel bed I3. The drive for rotating the poker consists in a bevel gear 91 (Fig. 6) which extends through a hole in the cover 22 and meshes with the rin gear 21 secured to the outer edge of the trough 25. Rotation of the cover 22, therefore, causes rotation of the gear 91. The gear 91 is keyed to a shaft 08 mounted in bearings on the cover 22. Rotation of the shaft 03 drives two oppositely rotating gear trains I00. The end gears of the gear trains I00 rotate freely on a shaft IOI and are made integral with square toothed gears I02 which likewise run freely on the shaft IOI. A double-faced gear I03 with teeth out to mesh with the gears I02 is splined to the shaft IOI so that by sliding the gear I03 into mesh with first one and then the other of the two gears I02, the direction of rotation of the shaft IOI may be changed. The mechanism for shifting the gear I03 will be hereinafter described. The shaft IOI carries a worm I00 which meshes with a toothed sector I05 secured to the periphery of the holder 95. The shaft 98 also drives a gear train I06 which drives the rotary feeding and sealing means 8| as described in my Patent No. 1,819,836, granted August 18, 1931.

Figures 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 show the mechanism for shifting the gear I03. A lever I01 pivoted about a vertical shaft I08 and having two arms I09 and III! is used to shift the gear I03 in and out of mesh with the gears I02. The vertical shaft I08 is mounted in a base III which is secured to the top of the cover 22. The arm I09 of the lever I01 is forked and the prongs of the fork are slotted to grip small studs II 2 which extend from a ring around the gear I03. A sec- 7 0nd lever II3 having two arms IM and H5 is mounted on and rotates about the shaft I00 above the lever I 01. The arm H0 of the lever H3 is forked to provide two horizontally spaced prongs H6 and carries a U-shaped member II1 having flanges II 8 which extend down beyond each side of the arm II 0 of the lever I01. The flanges I I8 carry adjusting screws II9 by which movement of the lever I01 by movement of the lever II3 can be adjusted. A vertically extending lever I20 is pivoted about a horizontal shaft I2I mounted in the base III. The lower end of the lever I 20 is shaped in the form of a spade with the upper portion of the spade cut out. The arm IIO of the lever I 01 extends through the cut-out portion of the spade. The upper end of the lever I20 carries a weight I22 which may be set in various positions along the lever I20 by means of the set screw I23. I

The operation of the reversing mechanism is as follows. The poker holder 95 has two vertically extending pegs I20 near its periphery. Upon rotation of the poker the pe s I24strike the arm II5 of the lever H3 and cause the lever to rotate about the Vertical shaft I08. When the lever II 3 rotates about the shaft I00 one of the adjusting screws II9 strikes the arm IIO of the lever I01 and causes the lever I01 to rotate. The arm I09 of the lever I01 will thus move the gear I03 partially out of mesh with one or the other of the gears I02. Upon further movement of the lever II3 one of the prongs IIB of the lever H3 trikes-the lever I20. Continued movement of the lever II 3 will cause the lever I 20 to move past a vertical position and thus the weight I22 will overbalance. Under the action of gravity the overbalanced weight will move in a vertical arc until one edge of the spade-shaped end of the lever I20 strikes the arm IIO of the lever I01. The momentum of the falling weight is transmitted to the arm I00 of the lever I01 and snaps the gear I03 completely out of mesh with one and into mesh with the other of the gears I02. The direction of rotation of the carrier 95 will thus be changed and the poker will revolve in this direction until the lever H5 is struck by another one of the pegs I24 in which case the levers I01 and II 3 will be moved in an opposite direction and the weight I22 will be swung to the opposite end of its arc of movement and the gear I 03 will again be shifted from one to the other of the gears I02.

Mechanism just described is also disclosed and claimed in another division from said copending application, Ser. No. 450,020, filed July 7, 1942, for Poker mounting and actuating means for gas producer.

Because of the improvements above described, the coal is automatically fed in the right quantities to the combustion chamber and is evenly distributed therein. The revolving grate effectively removes the coal ashes and prevents them from clogging the air passages by which air.

necessary for combustion is supplied to the chamber. The reversing mechanism controlling the gears which drive the poker insures positive change of direction of rotation of the poker which in turn insures a thorough stirring and even distribution of the fuel throughout the fuel bed. By reason of these. improvements my gas producer Will operate automatically at a high rate of efficiency and for long periods of time.

While I have shown certain present preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be distinctly understood that they may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a gas producer; a generally cylindrical body providing a combustion chamber adapted to contain a fuel bed, a cover on said body, means for effecting relative rotation between the body and cover, an opening in said cover for admitting fuel to said chamber, a pair of chutes below said opening, said chutes sloping in opposite directions generally radially of said body and being spaced apart whereby a portion of the fuel delivered through said opening falls between said chutes directly onto said fuel bed intermediate the center and periphery thereof, and other portions of the fuel striking said chutes are diverted toward the center and periphery of said bed, respectively.

2. The construction as defined by claim 1 oharacterized by means operable from the exterior of said chamber for varying the slope of said chutes.

' REINHARDT DAAE. 

